Sekirei
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese manga
series by Sakurako Gokurakuin
. The manga began serialization in the seinen
magazine Young Gangan published by Square Enix
in December 2004 and the first tankōbon
was released on June 25, 2005, with ten volumes available in Japan as of June 25, 2010. An anime
adaptation produced by Seven Arcs
and directed by Keizō Kusakawa
aired in Japan between July and September 2008, and a second season aired between July and September 2010. Both seasons are licensed in North America by Funimation Entertainment
. The central character of the series is Minato Sahashi, a ronin
who failed college examinations twice. His life changes, however, when he meets a girl named Musubi.
(known as ) in the year 2020, 19-year-old Minato Sahashi has failed his college entrance exam twice. Moreover, he is awkward around women, and he's unemployed. He could never stand up to his mother or little sister growing up, a trend that continues to this day. In reality, Minato is extremely intelligent, yet his inability to cope under pressure results in his constant failure and he has been branded an idiot and loser by many as a result.
One day, Minato meets a girl named Musubi, who literally falls from the sky. Minato soon learns that she is a "Sekirei" who chose him as her "Ashikabi", a human with special genes that allows them to "mark" (form a contract with) Sekirei. This binds the Sekirei to him and allows them to use their full power in the elimination battle with other Sekirei. Made up of cute girls, buxom women, and bishōnen
, the Sekirei fight in a dangerous and sometimes deadly competition known as "The Game" or the "Sekirei Plan" organized by Hiroto Minaka, the chairman and founder of the mysterious and powerful MBI Corporation.
Minato soon learns that being the partner of a beautiful girl is not all fun and games, especially when several other Sekirei choose him as their Ashikabi, each also forming a contract with him. Now, Minato must find a way to survive both the life-threatening battles of the Sekirei Plan and his partners' fierce competition for him.
The adult and the eight embryos are also known as the "Single Numbers". It is hinted that unwinged Single Numbers are equal or even more powerful than their winged counterparts. All of the Sekirei had undergone adjustments for the "Sekirei Plan", especially the Single Numbers (some of their adjustments were mischievous). The adjustments had been undergone not only for making Sekirei stronger, but also for controlling and stabilizing their power. Each Sekirei has a , a unique ability that allows them to perform powerful attacks. In order to use the Norito, a Sekirei must be kissed by an Ashikabi prior to reciting it.
Also, eight mysterious artifacts called , numbered from #1 to #8, were also found on the Sekirei spaceship. If all eight of them are gathered, it is possible that they can be used to terminate all of the Sekirei if the wielder desires. Sekirei that are under the same Ashikabi can also merge their techniques in order to create more powerful techniques. This puts most Ashikabi at a disadvantage, as only a few Ashikabi possess more than one Sekirei.
series which started serialization in the seinen
manga magazine Young Gangan in June 2005, published by Square Enix
. As of October 2011, twelve tankōbon
volumes have been released.
.
series adaptation produced by the animation studio Seven Arcs
and directed by Keizō Kusakawa
aired in Japan between July 2 and September 17, 2008. The anime is licensed by Aniplex
in Japan. The first season is mostly faithful to the overall story structure of the manga series, covering roughly the first fifty-one chapters of the series. The opening theme is and the main ending theme is "Dear sweet heart"; both songs are performed by Saori Hayami
(#88 Musubi), Marina Inoue
(#9 Tsukiumi), Kana Hanazawa
(#108 Kusano) and Aya Endo
(#2 Matsu). The ending theme used in episode eleven is by Hayami. Six DVDs of the first season were released between October 22, 2008 and March 25, 2009. The sixth DVD volume was supplemented with an original video animation
(OVA) episode, , featuring Kusano participating in the shopping race with Musubi and Tsukiumi. A Blu-ray box set of the first season was released on June 30, 2010 with three Blu-ray discs and one additional CD. At Anime USA
2009, Funimation Entertainment
announced that the anime's first season was licensed and a DVD box set was released on November 23, 2010.
A second season entitled began airing on July 4, 2010 on Tokyo MX and on July 6, 2010 on some other Japanese networks. The first episode of Sekirei: Pure Engagement was pre-aired on June 13, 2010. The opening theme is and the ending theme is ; both songs are performed by Hayami, Inoue, Hanazawa and Endo, as in the first season. The ending theme for episode 10 is by Hayami. A single containing both songs was released on July 21, 2010. The limited edition of the single came bundled with a special three-minute OVA, classified as episode 0, titled . The full 28-minute version of the OVA was released with the first BD/DVD volume of the second season on August 25, 2010. At Anime Expo
2010, Funimation Entertainment
announced at its panel that they have licensed the second season. It will be released in North America in January 2012.
in limited and regular editions. Two music pieces implemented for the game's music consist of and "Survive Baby Survive!", both of them performed by Saori Hayami
, Marina Inoue
, Kana Hanazawa
and Aya Endo
. The limited edition version was bundled with figures of Musubi and Tsukiumi with Kusano in a panda suit, a 40-minute drama CD, and an illustration of Matsu. While Musubi, Tsukiumi, Matsu, Kusano, Miya, Homura, Uzume and Minato reprise their roles from the anime and manga, four new characters were created by Alchemist consisting of two Sekirei, one Ashikabi and a baby as video game-only characters.
The game takes place in the Sekirei timeline, being played as a visual novel
. Minato and the Sekirei in Izumo Inn encounter new characters consisting of Sekirei No. 54, (Haruka Tomatsu
), Sekirei No. 57, (Ayahi Takagaki
), Ashikabi (Yuichi Nakamura) and a baby referred to as (Haruka Tomatsu
). It centers around the discovery of the said baby, who is being pursued by unknown persons after Minato and the Sekirei found her abandoned in the city.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Sakurako Gokurakuin
Ashika Sakura
is a female Japanese manga artist. She is also known in the manga community under the name , under which she is the artist and writer of Juvenile Orion and Sekirei....
. The manga began serialization in the seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
magazine Young Gangan published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
in December 2004 and the first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
was released on June 25, 2005, with ten volumes available in Japan as of June 25, 2010. An anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
adaptation produced by Seven Arcs
Seven Arcs
is a Japanese animation studio established on May 31, 2002 and is located in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. The company originally produced adult original video animation series under another animation studio named Arcturus since April 2000 and had the intention of eventually producing television anime...
and directed by Keizō Kusakawa
Keizo Kusakawa
is a Japanese animation director. Kusakawa has mainly worked with Seven Arcs as a director for the anime the studio produces.-Anime involved in:*Inukami! The Movie : Director*Inukami! : Director...
aired in Japan between July and September 2008, and a second season aired between July and September 2010. Both seasons are licensed in North America by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
. The central character of the series is Minato Sahashi, a ronin
Ronin (student)
In Japan, a is a student who has graduated from middle school or high school but has failed to enter a school at the next level, and consequently is studying outside of the school system for entrance in a future year. Rōnin may study at a yobikō....
who failed college examinations twice. His life changes, however, when he meets a girl named Musubi.
Plot
In TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(known as ) in the year 2020, 19-year-old Minato Sahashi has failed his college entrance exam twice. Moreover, he is awkward around women, and he's unemployed. He could never stand up to his mother or little sister growing up, a trend that continues to this day. In reality, Minato is extremely intelligent, yet his inability to cope under pressure results in his constant failure and he has been branded an idiot and loser by many as a result.
One day, Minato meets a girl named Musubi, who literally falls from the sky. Minato soon learns that she is a "Sekirei" who chose him as her "Ashikabi", a human with special genes that allows them to "mark" (form a contract with) Sekirei. This binds the Sekirei to him and allows them to use their full power in the elimination battle with other Sekirei. Made up of cute girls, buxom women, and bishōnen
Bishonen
is a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...
, the Sekirei fight in a dangerous and sometimes deadly competition known as "The Game" or the "Sekirei Plan" organized by Hiroto Minaka, the chairman and founder of the mysterious and powerful MBI Corporation.
Minato soon learns that being the partner of a beautiful girl is not all fun and games, especially when several other Sekirei choose him as their Ashikabi, each also forming a contract with him. Now, Minato must find a way to survive both the life-threatening battles of the Sekirei Plan and his partners' fierce competition for him.
Sekirei
are extraterrestrial superpowered beings with a genetic code similar to humans. The Sekirei spaceship crashed on Earth in 1999 on , and was found by students Hiroto Minaka (future MBI chairman) and Takami Sahashi (future MBI head researcher and Minato's mother). Onboard, the pair had found 108 life-forms, described as "One pillar and 107 baby birds".- The first of them (a pillar, shown as #00, later renumbered and known as #01 Miya) was an adult.
- Eight (later known as #02-06, 08-09 and unnamed #07) were embryoEmbryoAn embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
s. - 99 others (later known as #10-108) were fertilized eggsFertilisationFertilisation is the fusion of gametes to produce a new organism. In animals, the process involves the fusion of an ovum with a sperm, which eventually leads to the development of an embryo...
.
The adult and the eight embryos are also known as the "Single Numbers". It is hinted that unwinged Single Numbers are equal or even more powerful than their winged counterparts. All of the Sekirei had undergone adjustments for the "Sekirei Plan", especially the Single Numbers (some of their adjustments were mischievous). The adjustments had been undergone not only for making Sekirei stronger, but also for controlling and stabilizing their power. Each Sekirei has a , a unique ability that allows them to perform powerful attacks. In order to use the Norito, a Sekirei must be kissed by an Ashikabi prior to reciting it.
Also, eight mysterious artifacts called , numbered from #1 to #8, were also found on the Sekirei spaceship. If all eight of them are gathered, it is possible that they can be used to terminate all of the Sekirei if the wielder desires. Sekirei that are under the same Ashikabi can also merge their techniques in order to create more powerful techniques. This puts most Ashikabi at a disadvantage, as only a few Ashikabi possess more than one Sekirei.
Ashikabi
are humans with unique genes that enable them to empower the Sekirei destined to serve them. Through mucous contact (kissing) between a Sekirei and its Ashikabi, a Sekirei without wings can become a "winged" Sekirei. Unlike Sekirei, who are mostly buxom women or handsome young men, Ashikabi can be quite innocuous as they can appear in any gender, age, and even status. In the series, the power of an Ashikabi can be determined not only by the number of Sekirei he or she has in his or her disposal, but by the bond between them. Four Ashikabi in particular, including Minato, are considered the most powerful ones having titles based on their names followed by what part of the city they rule over. If an Ashikabi dies, all of the Sekirei winged by him or her will also perish.Sekirei Plan
The , known to Minaka and others as the "Game", is a competition in which Sekirei and Ashikabi fight for survival until the last one remains. The first anime season ended at the end of the Second Stage.- First Stage: The Sekirei are adjusted and released in Tokyo. Thereafter, they must find their Ashikabi for winging. This stage ended when 90% of the Sekirei had been winged.
- Second Stage: Tokyo becomes a closed city and no Sekirei or Ashikabi can leave. The Ashikabi must then wing the remaining unwinged Sekirei.
- Third Stage: A series of matches between Ashikabi for posession of one of the Jinki on each one. Three teams (an Ashikabi and up to three Sekirei) participate in the first and third match. Five pairs (an Ashikabi and one Sekirei) participate in the second match. Also it was revealed that Jinki #8 had been stolen from M.B.I. by Matsu and Uzume, given to Miya for safekeeping and is currently in Minato's posession. One of the other Jinki was also stolen and the fourth and last match is an optional battle royale with the prize being the remaining three.
- Fourth Stage: Final stage of the Sekirei Plan whose details have not been yet revealed.
Manga
Sekirei began as a mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series which started serialization in the seinen
Seinen
is a subset of manga that is generally targeted at a 20–30 year old male audience, but the audience can be older with some manga aimed at businessmen well into their 40s. In Japanese, the word Seinen means "young man" or "young men" and is not suggestive of sexual matters...
manga magazine Young Gangan in June 2005, published by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. As of October 2011, twelve tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes have been released.
Drama CD
A drama CD entitled Sekirei Original Drama CD was released on July 25, 2007 by Frontier WorksFrontier Works
is a Japanese company specializing in the creation and distribution of media related to anime, such as producing OVAs, radio dramas, drama CDs, anime soundtracks, or other related products...
.
Anime
The first 12-episode animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series adaptation produced by the animation studio Seven Arcs
Seven Arcs
is a Japanese animation studio established on May 31, 2002 and is located in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. The company originally produced adult original video animation series under another animation studio named Arcturus since April 2000 and had the intention of eventually producing television anime...
and directed by Keizō Kusakawa
Keizo Kusakawa
is a Japanese animation director. Kusakawa has mainly worked with Seven Arcs as a director for the anime the studio produces.-Anime involved in:*Inukami! The Movie : Director*Inukami! : Director...
aired in Japan between July 2 and September 17, 2008. The anime is licensed by Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
in Japan. The first season is mostly faithful to the overall story structure of the manga series, covering roughly the first fifty-one chapters of the series. The opening theme is and the main ending theme is "Dear sweet heart"; both songs are performed by Saori Hayami
Saori Hayami
is a female seiyū and singer.-Anime:2007* Touka Gettan, Momoka Kawakabe, Sei* Clannad, Female student * Ghost Hound, Female elementary school student A 2008* Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, Sweetheart...
(#88 Musubi), Marina Inoue
Marina Inoue
is a voice actress and singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex division. As for voice acting career, she's employed by Sigma Seven...
(#9 Tsukiumi), Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa
a voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...
(#108 Kusano) and Aya Endo
Aya Endo
is a Japanese voice actress from Yamagata, Japan.- Voice acting roles :-Video games:*Agarest Senki 2 *Ar tonelico III *Chaotic *Koumajou Densetsu: Stranger's Requiem *Rune Factory 3...
(#2 Matsu). The ending theme used in episode eleven is by Hayami. Six DVDs of the first season were released between October 22, 2008 and March 25, 2009. The sixth DVD volume was supplemented with an original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) episode, , featuring Kusano participating in the shopping race with Musubi and Tsukiumi. A Blu-ray box set of the first season was released on June 30, 2010 with three Blu-ray discs and one additional CD. At Anime USA
Anime USA
Anime USA is a fandom convention for anime, manga and Japanese culture enthusiasts. It is an annual three-day event held over a weekend in Crystal City, Virginia , part of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area...
2009, Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
announced that the anime's first season was licensed and a DVD box set was released on November 23, 2010.
A second season entitled began airing on July 4, 2010 on Tokyo MX and on July 6, 2010 on some other Japanese networks. The first episode of Sekirei: Pure Engagement was pre-aired on June 13, 2010. The opening theme is and the ending theme is ; both songs are performed by Hayami, Inoue, Hanazawa and Endo, as in the first season. The ending theme for episode 10 is by Hayami. A single containing both songs was released on July 21, 2010. The limited edition of the single came bundled with a special three-minute OVA, classified as episode 0, titled . The full 28-minute version of the OVA was released with the first BD/DVD volume of the second season on August 25, 2010. At Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
2010, Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
announced at its panel that they have licensed the second season. It will be released in North America in January 2012.
Video game
A video game for PlayStation 2 entitled was released on October 29, 2009 by AlchemistAlchemist (company)
is a Japanese video game developer. It specializes in the development of visual novel video games ports for use on home video game consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and the defunct Dreamcast.-Dreamcast:*Baldr Force EXE*Chocolat: Maid Cafe Curio...
in limited and regular editions. Two music pieces implemented for the game's music consist of and "Survive Baby Survive!", both of them performed by Saori Hayami
Saori Hayami
is a female seiyū and singer.-Anime:2007* Touka Gettan, Momoka Kawakabe, Sei* Clannad, Female student * Ghost Hound, Female elementary school student A 2008* Shigofumi: Letters from the Departed, Sweetheart...
, Marina Inoue
Marina Inoue
is a voice actress and singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex division. As for voice acting career, she's employed by Sigma Seven...
, Kana Hanazawa
Kana Hanazawa
a voice actress represented by Office Osawa talent agency. She is notable for voice acting leading roles for a number of anime television shows and other anime-related media in Japan.-Anime voice roles:Leading roles in bold2003...
and Aya Endo
Aya Endo
is a Japanese voice actress from Yamagata, Japan.- Voice acting roles :-Video games:*Agarest Senki 2 *Ar tonelico III *Chaotic *Koumajou Densetsu: Stranger's Requiem *Rune Factory 3...
. The limited edition version was bundled with figures of Musubi and Tsukiumi with Kusano in a panda suit, a 40-minute drama CD, and an illustration of Matsu. While Musubi, Tsukiumi, Matsu, Kusano, Miya, Homura, Uzume and Minato reprise their roles from the anime and manga, four new characters were created by Alchemist consisting of two Sekirei, one Ashikabi and a baby as video game-only characters.
The game takes place in the Sekirei timeline, being played as a visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
. Minato and the Sekirei in Izumo Inn encounter new characters consisting of Sekirei No. 54, (Haruka Tomatsu
Haruka Tomatsu
is a Japanese voice actress and singer, employed by Music Ray'n .-Summary:Haruka debuted as voice actress in 2007, starring in Shinkyoku Sōkai Polyphonica as Corticarte Apa Lagranges...
), Sekirei No. 57, (Ayahi Takagaki
Ayahi Takagaki
is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She had her first major voice acting roles in 2007, voicing Jasmine in Deltora Quest and Lucia Nahashi in Venus Versus Virus....
), Ashikabi (Yuichi Nakamura) and a baby referred to as (Haruka Tomatsu
Haruka Tomatsu
is a Japanese voice actress and singer, employed by Music Ray'n .-Summary:Haruka debuted as voice actress in 2007, starring in Shinkyoku Sōkai Polyphonica as Corticarte Apa Lagranges...
). It centers around the discovery of the said baby, who is being pursued by unknown persons after Minato and the Sekirei found her abandoned in the city.
Reception
Volume eight of the Sekirei manga made the top 30 manga sold in Japan, holding third place with 103,811 copies sold from February 24 to March 2, 2009. Volume nine placed 17th out of 30 with 65,732 copies sold from December 21–27, 2009. From June 28 to July 4, 2010, volume ten sold 47,019 copies for a total amount of 120,991 in 20th out of 30.External links
- Manga official website
- Anime official website
- Tokyo MX official website
- Video game official website
- Sekirei at Funimation EntertainmentFunimation EntertainmentFunimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...